China-Cambodia economic, trade cooperation bears fruits: commerce ministry

BEIJING, Feb. 10 (Xinhua) -- Economic and trade cooperation between China and Cambodia has yielded fruitful results in recent years, the Ministry of Commerce said on Thursday.

China has continued to be Cambodia's largest trading partner for 11 consecutive years, said Shu Jueting, a spokesperson for the ministry, adding that trade volume between the two countries hit a record high again in 2022, expanding 17.5 percent year on year to 16.02 billion U.S. dollars.

Since the China-Cambodia free trade agreement and the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership came into effect in January last year, the liberalization and facilitation of trade and investment between both countries have been strengthened, Shu said.

China-Cambodia practical cooperation is advancing steadily, covering a wide range of areas such as infrastructure, textile and garment, processing and manufacturing, and agriculture, Shu said.

By the end of 2022, Chinese enterprises had invested more than 10 billion U.S. dollars in Cambodia, she added.

Noting that this year marks the 65th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties between the two countries and also the China-Cambodia Friendship Year, Shu pledged to work with relevant government departments in Cambodia and push the bilateral trade and economic relations to a new level.